NEW DELHI: In a striking blend of military precision and cultural symbolism, the Indian Army used poetry and powerful music as part of a sharp social media strategy to hammer home the message of Operation Sindoor, a mission that demonstrated India’s military prowess and resolve against terrorism.
India decimated nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir under Operation Sindoor with precision strikes early on May 7, in response to the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam massacre.
At 1:44 am that day, the government issued a statement emphasising that India had demonstrated “considerable restraint” in the selection of targets and method of execution, adding that “no Pakistani military facilities have been targeted”.
Shortly after, the Indian Army’s social media handles posted a poignant message with a poster that has now become the defining image of Operation Sindoor.
Alongside the message “#PahalgamTerrorAttack Justice is Served. Jai Hind!” the Army’s 1:51 am post on X (formerly Twitter) featured a symbolic poster, ‘OPERATION SINDOOR’ emblazoned across it, with a small bowl of vermilion (sindoor, traditionally worn by married Hindu women) forming the first ‘O’ in ‘SINDOOR’ and a dash of the red powder forming the second.
Since then, the Indian Army has released several thematic short videos on social media platforms that have been widely shared and appreciated. All these videos were produced in-house by the Social Media Section of the Army’s Additional Directorate General of Strategic Communication, sources in the military establishment said.
The songs were carefully selected, each tailored to the content and theme of the respective video, the sources added.
But a video that stood out for its lyrical resonance and visual intensity was the one played just before the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) press briefing on Operation Sindoor on May 12.
As the video rolled, a stirring rock rendition of a key verse from Krishna ki Chetavani, part of Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s timeless classic Rashmirathi, echoed in the background.
It served as a metaphor-laden message, delivered with poetic precision to Pakistan.
The rock music rendition was juxtaposed with visuals of Indian military assets, missiles, naval platforms, weapon systems, air defence systems, accompanied by subtitles.
The Hindi lyrics roughly translate to: “When doom hovers over a man, the first thing that vanishes is wisdom… you did not heed wise words, did not recognise the value of friendship… announcing the last resolve. There will be war and not pleading, glory to life or death it will be.”
Subtitles accompanying the visuals reinforced the message with words like “prepared”, “each move detected”, “every step watched”, “tracked”, and “monitored”.
“The song was specially composed using the specific lines relevant for the theme. The rock music theme was chosen for the effect. The song was created by an in-house team using the latest technology available,” a source in the defence establishment told PTI.
A montage of images showing wreckage of Pakistani drones destroyed by Indian forces under Operation Sindoor and visuals of India’s military might across land, air and sea played on a large screen alongside the music.
Following India’s May 7 strikes, Pakistan attempted to counterattack on May 8, 9 and 10, but Indian forces efficiently thwarted multiple waves of aerial incursions.
“The message intended to be conveyed through these music and videos for the audience was that the Indian Army is prepared, ready and capable of using decisive force against India’s adversaries. Those with nefarious designs against the nation should not lose sight of the Indian Army’s might, reach and valour,” another source in the defence establishment said.
Before the military’s press briefing on May 11, the Shiva Tandava Stotram was played on the big screen, setting a powerful tone for the conference.
A montage of images showing the damage inflicted under Operation Sindoor accompanied by subtitles such as “heed our advice”, “terrorism will have a cost for Pakistan”, “heavy”, “inevitable”, “unaffordable” also played during the briefing.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the military confrontation after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.